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Interesting read in the WSJ on how physicians are finally ‘getting’ that what you eat is truly the best medicine, enlisting the help of top name chefs, A Delicious Prescription, WSJ 3/15-3/16,. However, I read this article unsure if the author was taking a tongue and cheek approach; citing menu options from several upscale restaurants most of us will never dine in, nor have the pocket to purchase such ingredients. The chefs and physicians on this project were middle age and male, and , I’d wager none of their offerings appeal to a youngster’s palate, perhaps because they lack the experience in satisfying that demographic, or perhaps because they only sought what was appealing from their own perspective. l submit the following:

Are these really the “experts”? Better to consult the folks who are supposed to get it right from the beginning, since that is where health begins. A lifetime of healthy eating comes from practice, and therefore, becomes not a chore, but a habit. Even the project’s members concur, stating that they are interested in prevention, which implies early adoption of healthy foods and yet their approach is counter-productive, Specifically, the focus on gourmet meals, serves only a mature or elitist population, and undermines focusing on real food choices for families, which would benefit the masses, Clearly no “public” served by this foodie fraternity, despite that the lead participant is Harvard School of Public Health. A far better use of funds would be if Harvard School of Public Health consulted parents on how to make the best ‘fake’ fried chicken, by removing the skin, coating in smashed saltines, or breadcrumbs, and baking it in the oven, or, sliced up eggplant or zucchini baked on a cookie sheet, sprayed with a little olive oil, and salt and pepper, both of which can provide leftovers which stretch the budget far beyond any “naturally sweet grape juice reduction”, unless the experts are proposing we all ferment our own wine as a revenue model.

Multitudes of us run-of-the-mill playgroup hosts stock not “coconut foam”, “grass fed beef”, or “eggs from grass fed chickens”, but carrots, celery and apples, These are staples that are affordable to the average American family, particularly, as 25% receive SNAP funds, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Factor in an estimated 3.5% increase in food prices due to the recent drought, and the healthy cupboard becomes even less affordable

To the participants involved in this effort, might I suggest the following preparation directions? Leave the ivory tower [spotless stainless kitchen] that is your domain, along with your lab [chef] coat, turn sharply off the wealthy path you’re traveling of pricey restaurant fare, pivot to the menu of ingredients actually attainable within the average family grocery budget. Add a dollop of humor, and a healthy dose of reality, add liberally, as it appears you are in short supply. Yields: a healthy realistic meal plan that exists outside a Petri dish, or Fantasy Island.